The Waddesdon Manor × Buckingham Files is a five-year collaborative project developed from the University of Buckingham MA programmes in Decorative Arts and Historic Interiors and MA History of Art.
This programme combines rigorous academic training with a strong emphasis on vocational and professional skills, preparing students for careers in museums, galleries, auction houses, and the wider heritage sector.
In partnership with Waddesdon Manor (The Rothschild Collection), The Waddesdon Manor × Buckingham Files gives MA students the chance to work with real objects and collections while still studying. Through a shared, assessed module, students work closely with academic tutors and Waddesdon’s collections staff to create public-facing outputs, including catalogue entries, thematic essays, blogs, podcasts, and professionally designed digital publications.
Each year, students work in groups to explore themes and objects from the Rothschild collections at Waddesdon Manor, often focusing on under-researched material or offering fresh perspectives on well-known works. Their research is published on this open-access platform and, in some cases, as professionally produced printed volumes with ISBNs. Students graduate with published work and concrete experience to support their next career step.
The Waddesdon Manor × Buckingham Files addresses a well-recognised gap in the sector: the need for meaningful, accessible practical experience alongside advanced scholarly training. While internships are increasingly rare and often unpaid, this project embeds vocational skills directly within the MA curriculum. Students develop expertise in object interpretation, provenance research, collaborative working, professional writing, and public engagement – skills that can only be fully learned through practice.
What you’ll gain
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Hands-on experience working with museum collections and professionals
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Training in object interpretation, provenance research, and art-historical analysis
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Experience of collaborative research and group project work
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Practice in professional writing for exhibitions, publications, and digital platforms
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Opportunities to contribute to open-access and printed publications with ISBNs
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Transferable skills in public engagement, communication, and project development
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Strong material for your CV and portfolio when applying for jobs or further study
The University of Buckingham
Waddesdon
Rothschild Foundation
University of Buckingham Press
The University of Buckingham is an established provider of almost 50 years’ standing. Founded in 1976, it is the only independent university in the UK with a Royal Charter, and pioneered the two-year degree. With more than 26,000 alumni living in 185 countries, the University is a global community of students, scholars, professionals and alumni, sharing a passion for understanding. It inspires and empower graduates to achieve the extraordinary with the mantra of students being a name, never a number.
Waddesdon Manor is a French Renaissance-style chateau, built in the 1870s by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild to entertain the fashionable world and house his impressive art collection. A National Trust property managed by the Rothschild Foundation, since 1874, members of the Rothschild family have taken it in turns to enhance and nurture the aesthetics and conservational value of the estate.
The Rothschild Foundation was established in 2010 and represents the consolidation of three previous Rothschild charitable trusts. One of these, The Alice Trust, had as its mission the preservation, protection and improvement of Waddesdon Manor in the Vale of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire for the benefit of the public.
The Foundation continues this commitment, supporting and devoting a considerable portion of its funding to the restoration, preservation, improvement and development of the Manor, its collection and estate.
Originally set up in 1985, University of Buckingham Press is an independent publisher of wide-ranging trade and academic books and journals, working closely with the University of Buckingham - the UK’s first private university. UBP publishes a growing number of journals, under both subscription and open access models, covering diverse subjects, including medicine, law, economics, architecture, cyber security and education. UBP’s journals are published in partnership with a number of university departments and professional associations.
